I don’t have the ability to check them out first hand so I’m looking for advice. I have checked specs and watched vids, but I’m interested in the thoughts here. I will be putting it on my DD M4A1 16” with BCM lower which is about 7 lbs 4 oz without optic so weight is a concern. Or should it be? I’m not sure the 8 oz or so difference between the scopes I’m considering would be that noticeable. I would like duty-grade durability and the price to stay under $1500. What are your thought on these?
Nightforce NX8 1-8
Vortex Razor HD Gen II-E 1-6
Trijicon Accupower 1-8
Steiner PX4i 1-4
With either one of those you’re going to feel the weight and it’s going to effect the balance. Depending on what you intend to do with it, my first choice of those listed would be the Steiner. If you need more range, the NX8. The Accupower DV is lacking and the Razor Gen II is a beast of an optic. Others will have varying opinions based on experience I’m sure.
The NX8 is 17 oz. I use other scopes of the same weight (NXS 1-4 and MK 6 1-6) on rifles similar to yours and do not feel that the balance is ruined. I’ve also used Accupowers and feel that they are overall lacking in comparison with Nightforce compacts. I’ve never used the Steiner or Razor but I’ve heard that the latter is a pig- though seemingly popular.
Didn’t say it “ruined” the balance. I said it would affect the balance. To what degree really depends on you and how your rig is set up. I had a 17-ounce optic on my 16" SR15 and it definitely affected the balance when compared to a micro RDS, throwing just a little bit more weight towards the rear. Plenty of guys shooting LPVOs these days and it’s really not that big a deal.
The new 21.5oz razor is the best all around optic in your list. If size and capability with drawbacks (Fov and eyebox) is what you want then go with the nx8.
I wasn’t actually responding to your post, lol, but rather the OP. You’re right, balance is definitely affected-especially compared to a RDS. My point was that the handling quality with a 17 oz scope is not that noticeable (to me anyway).
I forgot that there is a new lighter weight Razor out there.
My bad. I’ve looked through the Razors and they are stellar optics without a doubt. Just a bit on the chubby side for a 556 carbine IMO. Although the Gen II is comparable in size and weight to the NF 1-8x ATACR, which I feel are better suited for 762 set-ups.
Thanks for all the replies so far and please keep them coming. I currently have a cheap Redfield Battlezone scope ( about 15 oz) and a weaver mount on the gun that brings it to 8lbs 10 oz. The weight is not terrible and I’m not sure the 10 oz difference between my scope and the heaviest I’m considering is worth worrying about.
I’m also surprised to hear some don’t care for the eye box and relief of the NX8. At 17 oz it is the lightest 1-8 I’m looking at. I did notice the Razor HD II-E is lighter than earlier models at 21.5 oz and is usually recognized as the gold standard in its class. I wish I could look through and handle these scopes, it would make things easier for sure.
The range I shoot at is only 300 yards so I could also just go with the Steiner PX4I 1-4 which at 17 oz and has a daylight bright reticle for CQB drills, gets great reviews.
Thanks again for your advice and keep it coming.
Imo the best LPVO on the market. Huge eyebox, forgiving eye relief, daylight bright, low weight, and proven durability.
But, for your needs just get the Steiner. Everything else is overkill/waste of money for a 14.5” BCM thats omly going to 300yds. Accupower 1-4 is a great optic for the price as well.
I have considered the Steiner a lot and it seems to be a fine scope for under $600 to boot. The Kahles is out of my price range unfortunately. I was also considering just going with an ACOG, but I’ve heard that it costs $400 to recharge the tridium when it dies. I know they have battery powered ones now too, but I’m not sure how they perform.
I guess I should also look at the Vortex PST Gen II 1-6, it a little beefy at 22.+ oz though. Thanks again for the helpful suggestions.
Fwiw the Khales can be had for about the same as the NX8, but it blows it out of the water imo. FFP and 8x is ridiculous for a LPVO as it negatively effects 1x performance;which is where my LPVO’s are used most. If you need FFP and 8x then you really need a dedicated precision rifle scope. The technology just doesn’t exist yet for Razor 1-6 or Khales field of view/eye box AND FFP or 8x top end.
Based on your distances and ranges and seemingly close to mid range distances, I would do a 1-4. It’ll give you all the magnification you need and save you a lot of money. As far as which one, I had the Trijcon Accupower but will likely replace it with the steiner. Field of view and eyebox are comparable but I like the idea of Steiner’s bright illumination. However, the segmented circle of Accupower while not daylight bright was easy to pick up due to size and boldness. Frankly I’m just waiting to get hands on with a Steiner before making the decision.
Light weight is not my primary concern, but is an added bonus for sure. The NF is attractive because of the mag range and it’s light weight. I should add the Khales is great, but I can get MIL/LEO discounts on the optics I’m considering. I haven’t found the Khales discounted anywhere though.
The CC feature on the current S&B 1-8x Shortdot CC and the upcoming 1-8x ShortDot Dual CC addresses this, no? Although admittedly price way above what most would pay for an LPVO, and I’m hearing the new soon to be released Steiner 1-6x and current 1-8x ATACR both feature true 1x. I might still get the new S&B when released to compare to the ATACR. Winner gets to stay.
The “CC” feature just resets your parallax to 7y instead of the 100y for the rest of your magnification range. I’ve had to send mine back for recalibration and suspect that this feature could cause more problems than solutions in S&B optics that feature the “CC” setting. My concern for the Dual CC is the reticle in that it will be too weak to use below 8x. NF is doing FFP right in their reticle designs in that there are features of the reticle that remain strong at 1x and don’t leave the user dependent upon electronics.